“AT&T has officially unveiled details about its upcoming streaming TV service called DirecTV Now,” Zac Hall reports for 9to5Mac. “The company first announced the subscription video service back in March, promising ‘on-demand and live programming from many networks, plus premium add-on options’ over the Internet similar to Sling TV and PlayStation Vue.”

“DirecTV Now will launch with apps on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV,” Hall reports. “The streaming TV package includes four tiers ranging from $35/month to $70/month with 60+ to 120+ channels. A free 7-day trial period will be available at launch.”

Hall reports, “Customers who sign up early will be eligible for the $60/month package at $35/month going forward. AT&T will also provide a free Apple TV set-top box to DirecTV Now subscribers who pre-pay for three months of service including the $35/month package.”

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19 Comments

Well I currently pay DirecTV about $125/month for my programming ….I can’t believe they be cutting their own throat with this offer….but I would actually love to use my AppleTV4 instead of it collecting dust like it does now…

Sad. Apple was at the forefront of this type of business and could of been an innovator in the field. Instead. Companies like AT&T, sling, and hell even Sony (via PlayStation) are the one leading in this area. Why are they able to produce a product whereas apple just seems to be flopping through the mud? First it as an actual Apple TV ( like a TV set ) , then it was the upgraded Apple TV box (which is nice but come on could of been more) all the way to the Apple TV service which was DOA thanks to someone (Cue the music…) thinking they were an apple god and all should bow before him only to get laughed at by all the major TV execs. Just seems like such a waste apple either do something spectacular or move on. Oh and I don’t want to hear they are working on it till they get it right malarkey. By the time they get it right people will be watching live action holograms in their living rooms.

It’s not really that bad for Apple. They charge AT&T to be on their platform. Combined with Apple’s redesign for live and on demand tv, if this type of service takes hold it makes AppleTV more relevant and makes more developers likely to create content for it. It’s just like iPhone/iPad and the AppStore. Apple will make bank.

Your take on Apple is a little odd consideration by what’s happening with the other streaming services. It’s unclear if Sling is making any money for Dish as it is cannibalizing their existing network. Hulu is not yet profitable. Netflix is just barely bringing in a profit, which is commendable. But it’s content costs are increasing. And no other players even register a blip on the subscriber or revenue numbers.

Now, the AT&T/DirecTV $35 a month deal is compelling on the surface. Even at $60 it might be a good deal but we’ll have to wait and see how the content providers react.

Apple simply has not been able to negotiate a business model that will work for them and us. The memory of iTunes and the music labels runs deep in the psyche of media companies worldwide.

A handful of companies own all the content and are determined to mine your wallet regardless of the delivery method. I am tired of subsidizing bullshit to be able to watch the few things I actually consume.

By the way, a number of cities are already looking to tax your streaming bundles.

“Cities throughout California — including at least a dozen in the Bay Area — are considering adopting a streaming video tax to make up for revenue lost by viewers who have left their cable TV subscriptions behind in favor of Netflix, Hulu or HBO Go, among others.

If the cities are successful in adjusting their existing utility users taxes — and there are questions surrounding the legality of such a move — viewers could be forced to pay as much as 10 percent more to stream Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black” or Amazon Prime’s “The Man In the High Castle.”

Cities from Richmond to Redwood City to Watsonville are looking at adopting a streaming video tax. Alameda, Albany, Emeryville, Gilroy, Hayward, Hercules, Menlo Park, Los Altos, Newark and San Leandro have ordinances that could be tweaked to allow them to tax video streaming without a fresh round of voter approvals.”

but will you be able to go up and down the channels like with cable? if you can’t cycle through all the channels quickly till you find something good then this won’t work for my house. needs to work like a real tv

Competition is good, but the 2 stream limit stinks. SlingTV has a 1 stream for ESPN or 3 streams for other channels. PlaystationVue is the best with a 5 simultaneous stream limit, even of ESPN.

I started with SlingTV, and it was good, but PlaystationVue, for my viewing, is better and cheaper. The DirectTV offer doesn’t look good at all to me. I suppose HBO is cheaper at $5. The free video data is good.